Wisconsin Sports Betting

Wisconsin has a fair share of sports action, with three professional teams calling the state home and several strong collegiate athletic programs in place. It is a challenge to access legal sports betting opportunities throughout the United States, and Wisconsin is no exception. Though there are four states in which brick and mortar bookmaking services are legal, none of them are extremely convenient for WI residents to access. This guide was created to assist residents of the Badger State in finding more convenient, legally sanctioned sports gambling options, as well as provide data concerning the legal status of sports betting in WI so that players are making the most informed decisions possible. Also included in this guide is a section specifically for the many football fans in the state, dedicated to covering Wisconsin football betting options, including a guide to betting on the Green Bay Packers and a guide to betting on the Wisconsin Badgers football team.

Top Online Sportsbooks For Wisconsin Residents

Is Sports Betting Legal in Wisconsin?

You may or may not be familiar with the US Federal laws that govern sports betting in the United States. First we have the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) that effectively bans US based sports betting everywhere in the US except for Delaware, Montana, Nevada and Oregon. There is also the Federal Wire Act that takes things a step further by outlawing all US based online sports betting. Between these two laws, US based online and offline sports betting is out of the question. State law in WI does not really address sports betting. There really is no need to include sports betting in your state law with the Federal Wire Act and PASPA in place, so many states simply do not worry about it.

The state does specifically mention online gambling in their statutes, and lists it as illegal. There are debates as to whether the law was intended to prevent unlicensed state based gambling sites from springing up as well curtail the emergence of Internet Café's that are almost always tied to illegal gambling rings, or if the law is broad enough to include offshore gambling sites as well. It is unclear from the language in the statute itself and if you want a definitive professional opinion on this law, we recommend that you contact a lawyer who is qualified to professional interpret the law. While the state clearly frowns upon online gambling, this law is not enforced whereas players are concerned. There are no recorded incidents of law enforcement in the state targeting players in an investigation of any kind related to online gambling. You can review the state's laws yourself by visiting the Wisconsin State legislature website.

The good news is that the US Federal laws governing sports betting in the US do not prohibit residents from visiting and engaging in betting activities at legally licensed and regulated sportsbooks that are located outside of the United States. In addition, these offshore gambling destinations are not subject to US federal or state laws. The majority of gambling laws across the nation are targeting illegal, unlicensed and unregulated gambling operations. Those types of illegal gambling rings are typically very dangerous for players and bring a host of criminal activity with them. We always recommend you avoid those types of gambling destinations at all costs.

The sportsbook brands recommend in this guide all accept Wisconsin players as customers, and have been vetted by professional analysts to confirm that they hold legal licensing and compliance certifications. They are also each regulated by genuine respected governing jurisdictions located outside of the United Sates. This is the key to remaining on the legitimate side of sports betting. You must always ensure you limit your betting to those destinations that are operating legally within the industry and that hold the appropriate credentials for doing so. If you restrict your sports betting to legal offshore sportsbooks that accept Wisconsin residents as customers, then you will be in good shape.

What is the Legal Gambling Age in Wisconsin?

Wisconsin is one of the few states with a minimum legal gambling age of 18 years old. Should you choose to engage in line sports betting, you will need to check the gambling age policy of that site whereas some sites require a minimum age of 21. Should you attempt to engage in gambling prior to your 18th birthday, or in violation of the policy at any gambling site, you will lose claim to your winning and any other funds in your account. We don't recommend trying this. In most instances the players are caught and face various penalties, particularly those below the age of 18.

Betting Trends for Sports Teams in or around Wisconsin

The Milwaukee Bucks

Sometimes a basketball team is so unpopular that they don't even ring a bell once you read their name. Unfortunately for the Bucks, this has been their fate for a long time. The last time they had a big-name player was when they grabbed Ray Allen out of Connecticut in the draft, along with players like Glenn Rice. Allen ended up being an all-time great, setting the NBA's 3-point record. Sadly, though, he did this with teams like Seattle and Boston, as Milwaukee didn't keep him long. These days, the Bucks are dying on the vine as an irrelevant team.

They have some players whose names might seem familiar, such as OJ Mayo, Jabari Parker and Michael Carter-Williams. They even have role-players like Jerryd Bayless and John Henson who round out the squad. And with Jason Kidd as their coach, they actually went 41-41 and weren't that horrible. But what matters here is how they did ATS (against the spread). Surprisingly, for a relatively bad and irrelevant team, they were 48-39-1 ATS last season, and were 31-24-1 as underdogs. They were actually a competitive team. Sadly, though, they were rarely favorites in games. They were 17-15 as favorites, and the 15 explains why they were mostly dogs.

This season may see a minor improvement, but don't expect a complete turnaround. It's unlikely that the Bucks will make the playoffs, and they're liable to be dogs so often that they'll have to keep games close just to cover rather than running away with wins to cover. That's always a bad sign, and it's a good reason to bet on another NBA team next season.

The Green Bay Packers

The Green Bay Packers are considered to be the cream of the crop in the NFC. Although their archenemies the Seattle Seahawks have gotten the best of them the past couple of seasons, the Packers still continue to give it all they have. They have a stout defense, featuring Clay Matthews, Julius Peppers, and famous Alabama alum Ha-Ha Clinton-Dix. But what really stands out is the "bad man" #12 Aaron Rodgers, considered almost universally to be the best QB in pro football. His passes are so accurate that it looks like a video game when he plays. He is the only QB in history to have a 4:1 TD to INT ratio, which is an amazing feat. And he's only 31 years old. Last season, they made it to the NFC Championship, and they're hoping to do better this go 'round.

But how did they do ATS? That's what gamblers want to know about. Well, for all their games, they were 10-7-1, which is good but not great. Where they were great, however, was covering as home favorites, where they were 6-2 with a fluke push. After a loss, they were 3-0-1, and even as flat favorites they covered at a rate of 9-4-1.

This year, look for the Pack to actually be about 13-5 ATS. They have a weaker schedule, even though they get Seattle in week two. They should be able to cover a lot more this season, even without Jordy Nelson.